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Mindstream brings coaching to Colombia

A Dublin based training company has made the headlines in Colombia after it delivered the first Business Coaching seminar in the Latin American country´s Caribbean coast.

Mindstream gave the two-day seminar this weekend in Cartagena, with a focus on leadership, motivational skills, achieving goals and improving relationships in the workplace and overall create a more productive environment.

Students included business leaders, politicians and university chiefs in the event held in Sinu University in Cartagena, the coastal city popular for international business conferences and political summits.

Silvia Bandera, head of Continuing Education at the university, who oversaw the seminar, said there was a welcome boost in interest in the coaching programme after it was covered by local newspaper El Universal.

“People went crazy calling with questions: what is this? How do we sign-up?”

The programme was delivered by Seann Farrell, owner of Mindstream, a member of the International Institute of Coaching and Mentoring, he has been delivering lifestyle and business coaching programmes for more than 15 years.

Farrell said he was taken aback by the welcome from the Colombians, and admired that participants were so open about their personal lives, and eagerness to develop themselves.

“I found them far more willing (than Europeans) to express their emotions, and they spoke comfortably of their love for their family and their spiritual experiences.”

Ms Bandera said Sinu University had decided to host a coaching programme after noting the need in Colombia for new and open-minded ways of thinking, particularly on the back of the recent Free Trade Agreement the country signed with the United States, and overall rise in foreign businesses and investment in Colombia.

“There´s a need for new ways to think differently,” said Ms Bandera. “We´re opening up more to the world around us.”

She added: “Coaching is only starting in Colombia. Few people know what it is … and this is the first time a foreigner has come to Cartagena for coaching. “

“And it´s a great opportunity for us to have a coach from Ireland. We invited Seann Farrell for his innovative knowledge in this area,” she said, adding that his accreditation with the International Institute of Coaching and Mentoring was a selling point.

Sinu University has invited Mindstream to deliver a further two-day and a four-day diploma coaching seminar next year, said Ms Bandera, after the response from the participants at the weekend.

“People were very happy and said the coach was excellent,” she said.

In addition to the two-day seminar, Farrell delivered two lectures on coaching to audiences of over 200 in both Cartagena and Monteria in the west of Colombia.

Farrell said he was keen to return to Colombia and deliver more coaching seminars into the future. “It is a new and exciting market for Coaching, as business people are now becoming aware of the benefits for executives and industry.

“We expect to be involved in coach-training in Colombia for many years. “

At the end of the course I feel scared, excited, emotional, overwhelmed but mostly amazed.

This weekend has been profoundly inspirational and important to me. I know I am a life coach. Thank you Seann & Bee

– Lydia, Asst. Director of Studies, English Language College.

I suspect that this weekend has changed my life and I don’t say things like that lightly.

I really appreciate how skilled and insightful Seann is and the gentle way he brought us through some challenging topics and facilitated the class. Thank you. I hope the diploma class starts soon.

– Carmel McCann

I had a life-changing experience.

I found myself falling into a position that required life coaching for my clients so I took the decision to do Seann's Certificate course as an add-on skill.
I had a life-changing experience and a development and broadening of my skills. It was an amazing, eye-opening 2 x day journey, with amazing people. A great gift to give to oneself.

– Karen O'Brien. Mentor, Counsellor and Facilitator.

This course has been a real-eye-opener for my life/career direction.

Sean’s calm and open-style of mentoring really engaged us all in the process of up-skilling ourselves and I would encourage anyone who is thinking of life coaching as a career to sign-up for the course

– Cilian Murphy, Primary School Teacher.

I absolutely loved the two-day course with Seann

It has strengthened even further my passion for life coaching. Seann is a wonderful teacher, easy-going, calm nature that is a joy to be in the company of. It is a fantastic course for anyone willing to grow, self-develop & evolve emotionally and spiritually. I am super-excited to continue onto the diploma course